Controlling the federal legislature and state legislatures and governorships: that is basic to the Democratic Party's future health and well being. And it is something the traditional base of the party can get behind even if they cannot get behind the Democrats at the top of this year's ticket.
As I have stated repeatedly, I cannot and will not be casting a vote in the Presidential elections this year. There is no presidential candidate who represents what I want to endorse when I go to the polls in November. No presidential candidate has earned my vote, which depends on substantive positions held, credibility, integrity, trustworthiness, and a belief in the candidate's ability to be a wise and efficacious President of the United States of America.
But that does not mean I am not a Democrat and a deeply committed one. As such, not only will I be fighting for reform of the national level Democratic Party, especially the DNC, and raising funds for Senator Clinton's 2012 reelection campaign (you can donate to that effort in the upper right of this site), I will take the time and trouble to work for downticket Democrats not only by writing about them but by putting my money where my mouth is. If to do this I have to join hands with Democrats who find themselves able to vote for the Party's presidential nominee, I accept that. As I have written before, politics is not a zero sum game and it makes no sense to demand that everybody with whom one has more in common, politically speaking, rather than less agree with one on every last issue and contest.
I have just purchased my ticket to an event called "Women in the House", a luncheon promoting progressive women Democrats running for Congress. The host committee includes some people who hold very different views from mine regarding Senator Obama and regarding issues of misogyny and sexism in the Democratic Party. But the hosts are beside the point: it is the candidates who matter. This is just one sort of action that Democrats who are committed to their Party and its future can take - even if they cannot endorse the Party's selected presidential nominee.
If supporting downticket Democrats is not your cup of tea, please consider a donation to the ad campaign from The Denver Group, Democrats for Principle Before Party. That campaign will aim to speak for Democrats who want to make sure that current DNC officials get the message: it is time to stop taking us for granted. We swing not for Republicans but for reform.
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